Starcrossed Lovers But Nobody Knew
by ClatoLove
Summary: "Cato and Clove from District Two, starcrossed lovers but nobody knew." The Hunger Games that Katniss and Peeta didn't get to see. The romance between Cato and Clove in the arena, and flashbacks of their life in Two together. BETTER THAN IT SOUNDS.
1. Chapter 1

I sat on the oversized bed of my room, knees up to my chin. The television blared in front of me, the reapings being replayed. But my mind wasn't directed towards the screen calling up names of children who I would soon be killing, although it should be, to size up my competition for the Games. Hell, what am I talking about competition for? None of these tributes could possibly match my skills.

Exept maybe one.

My district partner, Cato. Huge compared to my slight frame, bulky muscle and full of sheer power. A strong, detirmined look always on his face, ferocity swimming in his blue eyes. And though I hate to admit it, his fighting abilities easily match mine.

The one advantage I had over him was that my knives could kill from a distance- his sword would require a close fight. Normally, I would be able to get rid of him from a distance.

But my circumstances aren't normal.

I'm in love with Cato.

And how am I supposed to kill the one and only person I love in this world?

Killing my own family would be easier than even the thought of killing Cato. Because killing him would be killing this big part of me, this beautiful part of me. The part of me that could love someone. Love someone so much that it completely contradicts the way I was raised- that the Games were this wonderful thing, that they would bring me fame, and that maybe my parents wouldn't be so hard on me when I won.

They were reaping District 7 now, as my thoughts were interrupted by my door opening, a strong, muscled arm showing.


	2. Chapter 2

"Clove," he said, the intensity of his blue eyes seemingly boring into my soul.

I just looked at him. What was I supposed to do? I _wanted _to run up to him, be held in his comforting embrace, for him to tell me it'll be okay. That we'll both be home some day.

But that's impossible.

Angry tears formed in my emerald eyes, the eyes Cato always talked about so fondly. Will he be the one to see them go lifeless right before his own?

The strong look on his face collapsed, and he walked over to me. I met him in the middle of the room, ignoring my head telling me to distance myself from him. To make the pain easier.

The tears fell silently down my face, for the first time in years. Cato is my weak spot. I stop being the angry, alone child I grew up being around him. I'm...I'm myself around him. I'm raw and vulnerable and honest, my heart on my sleeve.

But he didn't hold me.

"You don't cry," he said, wiping a tear away from my cheek with his thumb. His voice was hollow, and I could tell his head and heart were battling, like mine.

"No. I don't," I replied, looking down.

He tilted my chin up, looking at me, searching for answers.

"I'm going to loose you," I tried to say it plainly, but my voice cracked on the last word. Cato seemed to crack, and pulled me into him, stroking my hair and murmuring.

"No. No, you'll never loose me. I'm going to stay by you. And we're going to be together. Forever."

"Cato, not forever," I said, pulling away. "One or both of us is going to die in these Games."

"Clove, I..." he stopped, running his hands through his light, golden hair.

"We have to decide," I said, the tears gone now. "Between our heads and our hearts. The smart thing to do would be to just try to end it. But the part of me that's in love with you just wants to spend every single moment we have before the Games with you."

He just looked at me, the intensity from when he first entered the room back.

And he kissed me.

A good, soft kiss. His lips up against mine, not quite passionate but loving. He pulled me closer to him, his muscular arms around my waist. My arms found their way around his neck.

And in that moment, I knew what his decision was.


	3. Chapter 3

He pulled away, and I bit my lip, looking down then up again. Only Cato could pull this humble, innocent act from me. And I loved it.

His arms lingered around me, and I could feel his thumb making small, light circles on my lower back.

"Stay with me?" I asked, surprised at the, again, innocence of my voice.

He smirked, a facial expression that was intimidating to other people, but completely endearing to me. He picked me up, bride style, and carried me to my bed. His arm never left my waist, holding me in a way that seemed to block out the instinct to always protect myself, always be on guard. His other hand was entangled in mine.

We talked. For hours. About the tribute parade tomorrow, about the interviews and what our angles were.

"Confident," We said at the same time.

He smiled at me.

"I don't know... maybe you should go for sexy?" He said, and wiggled his eyebrows in the most ridiculous fashion.

I laughed, and he poked me in the stomach playfully, tickling me and making me laugh harder. I didn't feel like Clove. I didn't feel like the bloodthirsty since age eight, sarcastic, sadistic killer that I was convinced was my personality. I felt...happy. It's a simple word for a simple feeling. A feeling where all that matters is whatever is making you happy and enjoying it, because all good things must come to an end.

Cato had stopped tickling me, and I rested my head on the place where his shoulder meets his chest.

As I entered the place where my dreams and reality seemed to blur together, about to fall asleep, Cato whispered in my ear.

"Clove."

I rolled my head over, looking into his eyes. What was wrong? He looked shaky. Scared, almost. I sat up.

"What's the matter?" I asked, searching his eyes for answers.

"Clove, I... I have to ask you something. And it might be stupid and I know it's completely impossible, but I need to know what would happen if we were home now. I need to know if I ever would have had the chance."

"Cato, babe, you aren't making any sense..." I said, but then he did it.

He got down on one knee.

"Clove, I love you. It's that simple. Not one other girl I have ever met has caught me like you do. You make me nervous that I'll do something wrong. You make me smile when you're talking to me. Hell, you make me smile whenever you're doing anything. You make me laugh with your sarcasm and sometimes you just make me laugh when you do something cute, which is more often than not."

He looked up at me, and his eyes were filled with a desperation I had never seen before.

"You...you make me happy. And I was a happy guy before, I'll admit that. But you, Clove. I've never heard of anyone going through some of the things you've had to go through. I've also never heard of anyone strong like you. Strong enough to make the best of your situation, no matter how bitter it made you feel towards people and how little faith you had in them. And when you told me that I made you forget about that... I realized that I make you happy too. And that's all I want. Well, that and one other thing."

He pulled out a little box, and revealed a beautiful ring.

"I want to marry you. Will you marry me?"

I took a deep breath.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Oh my gosh you guys! I didn't think this story would get as many reads as it has! A special thanks to ButterflyBlueEyes, Princesschloe72, katien100, RosiePotter, Mockingjay200, and TwilightCharmedFaie for reviewing, favoriting, or adding me to their alerts! It means the world to me! Also remember to check out my other story, His Humanity. It's a quick little one-shot and praise and criticism are welcome :3. Love you all, and enjoy this next chapter. 3 (Btw, theres some language in here.)

_ The satisfying noise of my knife making contact with the wall was all I wanted. The only thing I wanted more was him dead. The Peacekeeper. The one that killed my mom. _

_ And he would be. By my hand, my knife. I was sure of it, and I was eager for the moment I could see him take his last breath, as he watched my mother do the same. _

_ I ran down the road, my fathers angry, slurred words repeating in my head. _

_ "Your mom is dead, Clove. One of them damn Peacekeepers."_

_ That was all he said, and stumbled back into his room in a drunken stupor. I heard glass breaking from his room, the room they used to share, the one I would come and sleep in when I heard somebody getting killed somewhere outside. Back when I was afraid of death. _

_ The words filled me with a new feeling, and unfamiliar one. It boiled inside me, overtook my senses. It made me want to run, and slam and break things, and throw things, and punch people. Anything to make somethings else understand. Something words just couldn't do. Only actions._

_ So I did. I ran to the other end of town, the rich side. The first house I saw, I picked up a potted plant from their front yard and threw it at their window. Glass went everywhere. Somebody inside screamed and I ignored it. I ran some more, did anything I could to rid myself of this anger. _

_ Then I saw him. The Peacekeeper. I knew it. Everything told me it was him, and I had no idea how, but I was sure. _

_ Instinct took over, and I lunged at him. I kicked and punched every inch of him that I could, and hot tears streamed down my face. He was in too much shock to call out. I don't blame him- who would expect a small, frail little girl like me to attack them with such fury?_

_ Then I felt hands pulling me back. My hands were still swinging, my legs still kicking and I screamed. _

_ "Let me kill him! Let me kill him! That bastard killed my mother! Let me go! I have to kill him!" _

_ The hands didn't let me go, however. After a while, I had succumbed to just tears, occasionally begging to be let down. A sense of calm washed over me, and I let the hands spin me around to face their owner. _

_ It was a boy, maybe two or three years older than me. He was insanely muscled for what must be a ten or eleven year old kid. I was only eight and very short and small- no wonder he pulled me off the Peacekeeper so easily. _

_ His eyes were hardened, his jaw set. _

_ "What the hell are you doing?" he asked, still holding my shoulders, leaning down a bit. _

_ I didn't say anything, and he sighed. His eyes became softer. _

_ "Alright, let's start out easier. What's your name?"  
"Clove."_

_ "I'm Cato. Where do you live? You need to get home, it's like two in the morning."_

_ "If it's two in the morning, why are you out?" I asked, taking the defensive as usual. _

_ "I was out late at the Training Center. Better than being out trying to kill Peacekeepers."_

_ I stared at him coldly, then decided he wasn't worth my energy. I ignored his comment about the Peacekeeper._

_ "What's the Training Center?" _

_ His eyebrows scruntched together, then he smiled a bit. _

_ "You're not from this side of town, are you?"_

_ I shook my head._

_ "How old are you?"_

_ That was a weird question. _

_ "Eight."_

_ "Well then you should know what the Training Center is!" he said, obviously confused. _

_ "But I don't. So tell me," I said, getting impatient and crossing my arms. _

_ "It's the Training Center, there's not much else to it. When you're eight, you go there and train for the Games."_

_ That was news. My parents never told me about that. I kept silent. My anger was over and now I just kind of wanted to sleep. _

_ Cato seemed to make a decision. _

_ "C'mon. I know where you can go."_

_ He grabbed my wrist, and we made our way down the road. _


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm sorry this is so short! I had writer's block today, but I felt bad not updating. So here's the next chapter, I'm not to happy with it, but review anyway? Love you all (:

_ We ran down the road a little, took some turns. Then we came to a beautiful gray stone house, complete French doors opening to a balcony on the second floor. We walked up the drive, and as I looked around I noticed that there were tons of other houses around- houses that looked exactly the same. _

_ We were in the Victor's Village. _

_ "Um, Cato..." I began, but we had reached the front porch, the door had opened. _

_ A oddly large-muscled woman stood there, glaring at Cato like he'd brought a stray dog home. But she said nothing about me, didn't even acknowledge that I was there. _

_ Then, she finally spoke._

_ "Bring the girl inside. Then we need to talk," she said it sternly, no emotion on her face but pursed lips and small, severe-looking eyes. _

_ Cato's hand still hadn't left my wrist, and he grabbed it tighter as he led me into the house and up the stairs. I was exhausted, it was clouding my thoughts, so all the rooms sort of blurred together until we reached one and he opened the door. It was a standard bedroom- dresser with a mirror, bed, bedside table. _

_ He let go of me, and I crossed over the room to the bed. All I wanted was to sleep. _

_ "Hey Clove?" he said, standing in the doorway._

_ I was tired and all I really wanted to do was cry. My mom was gone. How was life supposed to keep going? Why is everyone functioning perfectly fine, while my world completely crashes down and flips around all because of one man? _

_ "Yeah?" I said quietly. _

_ "It'll be okay," he said, looking straight into my eyes._

_ I didn't have anything to say, so I just looked down. _

_ "I hope," I murmured. _

_ He closed the door, and I let the tears fall._

I was still staring at him, my mouth hanging open a bit in shock. Cato stood up from the ground, and walked over to me. His eyes were so desperate, like he was hanging on to every second, every feature of my face.

Then it hit me. _Cato wanted to marry me. _My face broke into a smile, and I all but leaped into his arms. He picked me up, and spun me around, one hand holding me up and the other holding my head to his shoulder.

I started crying before I realized it. I began choking on sobs and I pulled my head back from his shoulder and looked at him.

"Yes! Yes, I'll marry you, Cato," I said, smiling with tears streaming down my face. His face lit up, his smile wide and genuine. He leaned in and kissed me, still holding me. I was crying of pure happiness, and he smiled against my lips.

He pulled away just enough so that our foreheads touched. He looked up into my eyes.

"I love you. I love you so much," he said, and the intensity of his voice made me sob harder. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he stroked my back.

When he spoke, I could hear slight laughter in his voice.

"Shh, Clove, it's fine baby, calm down."

"I..can't!" I said, done crying.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I...just...I love you!" I said, knowing I wasn't making any sense.

He laughed.

"I love you too, Clove. I love you too."


	6. Chapter 6

I woke up to the smell of Cato, the feeling of him holding me. And the sound of... cheering? I sat up, looked down at Cato's sleeping face. Then everything from the night before flashed before my eyes, and I immediately checked my hand for the ring, to make sure I hadn't just dreamed it all. It was too perfect to be reality.

I walked over to the window and peeked through the curtain.

It was absolutely gorgeous. The buildings were an array of technical colors, silver and blue and a metallic purple color. They stood at all different hights and some of the shapes I'm not sure even had names. And the people. They had on the most ridiculous clothing that I had ever seen, and their faces lit up when they saw mine. They clapped and screamed my name.

"Clove! Clove! Clove!" they said, trying to see me.

Some were yelling, "District Two! District Two!" and others seemed to be begging for Cato.

I walked over to him, and whispered in his ear.

"Cato, wake up. We're in the Capitol and everyone wants to see you!"

He stirred, and I pulled him by the arm out of bed, leading him to the window. This time I pulled the curtain all the way back and the applause became deafening, even inside the train.

We didn't do or say anything, just stared out into the crowd. We knew they were looking for bloodthirtsy killers from District Two, and that's what we were going to show them. In the parade, the interviews, and in the Games themselves. Some of them were definitely already sizing us up, placing bets.

We stood there, looking at the people until they ran out, and we began going through the heart of the city, where the building that they kept the tributes until the Games was.

I walked back to the bed, and Cato followed. I sat on the edge and he lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked.

He stayed quiet for a while, still looking intently at the same spot on the ceiling.

"That we'll never be able to get married," he said, then swallowed hard.

I had tried not to think of that.

"Then why did you ask?" I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I needed to know," he said plainly. "I needed to know that one day, if we didn't have these Games, we would be married."

"Yeah, well," I sighed. "We do have the Games."

"I know," he said, and broke his stare at the ceiling and looked at me.

"What are we going to do?" I asked. "There's no way we're both going to win."

He ran his hands through his hair- he only did that when he was frustrated.

"You have to win, Clove. You have to get through this. I don't know what I'd do if you died and I won. I wouldn't be winning at all, really. I'd be loosing you, loosing everything."

He pushed my hair back from my face, stroked my cheek with his thumb. I stood up, wanting to scream and throw my knives in anger.

"I don't want to win without you! It would be easier if I was the one to die. I don't know how I'd deal with life at home without you!"

Cato cupped my face with one hand and pulled me towards him with the other, crushing his lips on mine. He tangled his fingers in my hair and I did the same with his.

He pulled away, and said fiercely, "We don't have to think about this now. Let's just see how the Games play themselves out."

I nodded, and he got up.

"Can't have Mariana coming back here and seeing us in the same room," he said, and shut the door behind him.

I sighed, getting up and walking to the bathroom attached to my room. I took a quick shower and dressed into a simple shirt and jeans, then made my way out into the dining room for breakfast.

When I walked out of the hallway, Mariana, our escort, was sitting at the table with Cato and Enobaria. Enobaria was violently ripping at a roll with honey with her golden teeth, and Mariana was staring at her, eyes wide with terror.

They either didn't notice me or didn't feel that I needed awknowledgement, because not a word was said as I sat down at the table and began picking at my food.

"Well, the Tribute Parade is tonight," said Mariana, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. Nobody replied

Instead, Enobaria threw a knife. Straight at my head. Mariana gasped dramatically, I ducked, and picked up my own. I lodged it at her, giving her a look that could kill, my lips pursed, and my eyes narrowed. My knife missed her by less than an inch, as I had intended. She began chuckling.

"So, you are the Clove I've heard so much about," she said, her glittering smile mocking me.

"And you decided trying to kill me was the right way to find that out?" I said, my glare never wavering.

She laughed a bit more, then walked out.

Cato began laughing now.

"What the hell are _you _laughing at?" I demanded.

"Our mentor," he said, and got up to go back to his room, Mariana following him. She was muttering something, and all I got out of it was "barbarians this year."

Well, what did she expect?


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry there's not much fluffiness in this chapter, but I needed to get the Games process moving. I'm trying to get as much romance as possible in this chapter, but it's kinda hard. Please just continue reading this story, I have so much planned for it...I love you all, and thanks for reading. 3 PS. Who remembers? When are the interviews? Before or after the Training Center? And when are the sessions with the Gamemakers? My mind is a little fuzzy lol. So, comment the answer to that please, so this story is accurate. Thanks again. (:

Three hours later, we had entered the building where we could possibly be spending our last days alive, and Mariana had us all together in the main living area.

"Alright. We may have had a, uh, rough morning but let's not have that ruin tonight! The Tribute Parade! This is the time to show yourselves to the entire Capitol and all of Panem! So, without further ado, here are your stylists, Hendria and Ventro. Cato, you will be going with Ventro and Clove with Hendria. Enobaria and I will be seeing you later!" she chimed, her smile never faltering throughout the speech.

I walked over towards the female stylist, who I assumed was Hendria. She wore everything silver and purple, the same metallic purple as the buildings I first saw when we entered the Capitol. She had on a dress that reminded me of an overturned cupcake, purple and silver like everything else. Her makeup was a bit extreme, fake silver eyelashes and purple eyeshadow that shimmered and made her green eyes pop. She looked me over then nodded as if saying that I was acceptable for her to style.

We took the elevator to the underground level, where we would be poked and prodded, waxed and tweezed, and all that other stuff that the prep team would have to do to get us ready for our outfits, and eventually get us on carraiges to do the Tribute Parade.

My prep team consisted of three people- two men and a woman. The woman wore a shirt that looked like the top of a tuxedo, but bright green, and a flowy, deep blue skirt that stopped just above her orange high heels with probably twenty straps across them. Her hair was auburn, and styled into a ponytail on the side of the top of her head, stick straight. Her lips were puffy and dark red.

The men seemed to be twins- they both had the same round face with corkscrew hot pink hair. They wore matching orange and white striped suits and thin eyebrows, with makeup I couldn't even begin to explain.

They spent about an hour on me, and I zoned out most of the time. I didn't even notice they were speaking to me until they said my name for the third time.

"Clove," the woman said, peering at my face oddly.

I cleared my throat. "Sorry," I said, although I wasn't.

One of the men said in a shaky voice, "We were just wondering about this ring, dear. Where ever did you get it? It's so simple- yet gorgeous!"

"Oh, um, it, ah, it was...my mothers," I lied.

The other man piped up, "Pity you don't know where you got it- it's beautiful," he said, sitting it on a table next to him.

"Please don't loose it," I said. "Holds a lot of sentimental value."

"Of course, dear," said the first man.

"Thank you," I said, but I wasn't looking at him. I was looking at a girl at another station, the one right across from mine. She seemed to have had a sudden interest in our conversation about my ring. Glimmer, I remembered her name was. From District One. Seemed like a complete idiot to me, but I couldn't be so sure. She smirked at me, not showing her teeth, a sadistic smile, like she thought she knew something that I didn't. I glared at her, then returned my attention to my prep team. I would have to keep an eye on her.

Once the prep team seemed to think that I was ready to be dressed by Hendria, so they led me to another small room where I waited for her. When she arrived, she was pushing in a rack with my outfit for the parade on it.

It was so... majestic. Even I was taken with it and I'm not one to appreciate clothing very much. It reminded me of some sort of higher power, and when I put it on I simply looked like a goddess. It was gold and shimmery and beautiful. Even the ridiculous headress added to the outfit, and I stared at myself in the mirror in awe.

Hendria's swollen lips turned up into a slight smile.

"You like it, huh?" she asked.

I nodded, and her smile grew a bit.

"And you don't even have the makeup on yet," she said.

The makeup was gorgeous as well. A dark eyeliner with a light golden eyeshadow. Deep red lipstick.

I looked into the mirror again, speechless.

"Th-thank you," I stammered.

She smiled again, and said, "Now remember. When you get out there, be serious. No waving, no smiling. Intimidating. I saw that stare of yours earlier. Now use it. Look deadly."

I nodded again, and she led me to the chariots. I caught a glimpse of Cato. He looked stunning. Our outfits matched. He saw me and came over.

"You look...beautiful," he said, his face in an almost comedically shocked expression.

I giggled a little. "Thanks...you don't look too bad yourself," I said with a teasing smile.

"Come along you two!" Mariana chimed, motioning us over to our chariot. We stepped in, just as the District One chariot took off. They were dressed in ridiculous pink and blue feathered-looking outfits.

Cato grabbed my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. I gave him a quick smile as he let go, and we charged forward. The light was temporarily blinding, but I remembered to keep my face deadly and serious, just as Hendria had told me. I didn't wave, I didn't smile, I didn't even acknowledge the crowd- just stared forward. I could feel Cato's tenseness next to me, could practically sense his tense jaw and steely gaze.

We were almost to the stopping point, where President Snow would speak to the tributes and all of Panem, when all of a sudden the crowd got louder, the screaming became defeaning. Ceasar Flickerman's voise boomed over them, "Would you look at that Claudius! Holding their hands up, saying 'I'm from District Twelve and I'm proud of it!'" he chuckled, "Wonderful!"

I looked up at the wide screens and saw them. Peeta and Katniss from District Twelve. They were...glowing. On fire. Stunning. And united. They were holding hands, holding them up in the air, and smiling brightly to the crowd. Roses rained down upon them, and cheers of admiration filled the stadium. They had completely stolen the show.

I saw Cato's knuckles, white on the front of the chariot and knew he was not happy about this.

District Twelve finally came to a stop with all the other tributes, and President Snow got the attention of the group for his speech, which I really didn't pay attention to. When it came to an end, the chariots went back under the stadium to be unloaded, and the tributes escorted back to their floors.

"Oh, you two were wonderful!" Mariana squealed, rushing over to us.

"Apparently not as wonderful as Twelve," Cato said coldly, glaring in their direction. Their mentor caught Cato's gaze, and ushered his tributes to the elevator. I looked at Cato worriedly. He shouldn't be so mad about this!

"Yes, well, every district had their own way to stand out! You two looked so intimidating! So deadly! Great!" Mariana continued brightly, gently pushing us towards the elevator.

When we arrived to our floor, Cato stormed back to his room.

"Cato! Cato, what's the matter with you!" I called after him.

He ignored me and tried to slam the door in my face, but I slid into the room at the last second.

"It's just the Tribute Parade! It's no big deal, just calm down!" I said, trying to grab his arm, but he just pushed my hand away and ran his through his hair.

"You don't get it, do you? Clove, you need to get out of that arena alive. And if you don't have sponsers, and everyone wants Fire Girl to win instead of you, that's not going to happen!" he shouted.

"Cato, I...I don't want to win. Not without you. My life would be unbearable back at home if you're not there." I couldn't bear to say the word "dead".

"And you don't think the same goes with me? I'd rather be dead and know you got out alive than being the winner myself any day. Don't you see? I need to keep you alive!" he ran his hands through his hair again.

He wants to keep me alive? So that means...that means that wheather I like it or not, Cato is going to be dead. He's going to be sure of it.


	8. Chapter 8

"No," it came out as a whisper, unintended.

Cato came up to me, stroked my face with his thumb. He looked down into my eyes, intense.

"Yes, Clove," he whispered to me, "You need to win, go home and live your life. Meet someone else that makes you happy. Get married. You'll move on."

"No, no I don't want anyone else," I said. My throat was clogging up, tears beginning to build up. "I want you. I want to marry you. I want to live my life with you. I love you too much to find anyone else!"

"Clove, babe, I love you too and that's why I have to do this!" he sounded desperate, wanting me to understand something I would never accept.

My bottom lip wobbled as I tried holding in the tears.

"I don't want to have to live without you!" I said, beginning to become hysterical. There had to be a way out of this. It had to be a cruel joke. I don't want to be without him. I couldn't be without him.

I closed the distance between us, burying my face in his shirt, and letting go of the pain, the tears.

Cato held me close to him, kissing the top of my head, murmuring, "Shh, it's okay. It'll be okay. You'll be fine, babe. Just calm down. I'm not going anywhere, not right now."

Then he became quiet, alone from the occasional deep, shaky breath. I looked up. He wiped his face with the back of his hand, but not before I could see the single tear on his cheek.

This broke me down entirely. I cried even harder into his shirt, and he picked me up, bringing me to the bed. He held me, and I eventually cried myself out.

"Clove...just remember something," he said, looking down into my eyes.

"What is it?" I asked timidly.

"That I would give anything, absolutely anything to be able to go home with you. To finally marry you. And that I love you. More than anything else could even compare to."

I snuggled deeper into him, and murmured, "I love you too," right before drifting off.

_"Clove, c'mon. We're friends and all, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to get in trouble for you!" _

_ I made a growling noise directed at the door, and I heard Cato laugh. I finished the second braid in my hair, slipped on my shoes, and headed for the door. _

_ Cato and I ran down the stairs and out the door, sprinting to the Training Center. He kept on sticking his hand out to slow me down, so he could get there first. I laughed, pushing his arm down and running harder, just beating him to the door. _

_ He lightly punched me in the arm as we went inside, departing to different hallways- him to the eleven year old hallway and me to the nine year olds._

_ I went through the day as usual- Combat, Survival, Lunch, Games History, and then finally Specialty Training. My time to shine. I was great at Combat, my Survival skills were fine, and Games History is the stupidest class ever. Who wants to just sit around and watch old Games, then talk about why certain people won? Then there was Specialty Training. I looked forward to it, relished in it. The time when I could take out my knives, and summon the darker part of me. The part of me that tried to kill that Peacekeeper. The part of me that will never waver in its fury at my mothers death. _

_ But even that class was just the usual that day. _

_ Cato, as usual, walked me halfway home so we could talk, then left me to the rest of my journey home alone. _

_ I walked inside and kicked my boots off. _

_ "Hey."_

_ I looked up to see my father. My father and...well, somebody. A woman somebody. She was grossly thin, with straight blonde hair and expensive-looking clothing. _

_ "You must be Clove," she said. _

_ Immediately, my defenses went up. I glared at her._

_ "Yeah, I'm Clove," I said, no hospitality in my voice. _

_ She looked me up and down. _

_ "How long have you been training, Clove?" she asked. Weird question. _

_ "About a year," I said. A year since my mother was killed. The next day, Cato had taken me to the Training Center with him. I had been going ever since. _

_ "Nine years old then. Which weapon is your favorite, sweetheart?" _

_ Sweetheart? Ew. I don't even know this lady's name and all we've talked about is my training for the Games. _

_ "Knives," I said, a slight smirk playing on my face. _

_ "Knives, huh?" she said. _

_ "Yeah, knives. That's what I said," I said, getting annoyed. Why did she care?_

_ My dad cleared his throat. _

_ "Anyway," he said. "Um, Clove, this is Mia. I've been, uh, seeing her...for a while...and well...we're getting married."_

_ And I ran out the door. _

A/N: Quick question, guys...why don't I get any reviews? I see stories with like 50-something reviews and I can't help but question myself. Is this story just not worth it? Am I not living up to other fanfics you've read? I'm not trying to sound rude to you guys...I love you just for reading, but...


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey guys, I got a comment asking me to keep Clove and Cato alive and rewrite Catching Fire for them. Well, I highly doubt I'm going to do that (sorry, but I already know a lot of other stories that did that, and I wanna be orginal, kinda.) But I'm going to write lots more Clato stuff after this, so don't worry, I'm not done with them. And I'm really not happy with this chapter...

_ I ran hard, ran the route I had grown to know so well over the past year. _

_ I'm not sure what set me off. The obvious issue that she was only interested in my very high potential in the Games. That it's only been a year since my mother died and she's already being replaced. Or that he was only just now telling me that she was a part of the picture. _

_ I leaped up the three steps leading to his door in the Victor's Village. His aunt had won in the 64th Games, and his family has lived here with her ever since. _

_ She answered the door, and I rushed in. She was used to me barging in here, but this time I didn't even awknowledge her as I jumped up the stairs and down the hall to Cato's room. I threw open the door. _

_ He was laying on the bed, the television on, but he was staring at the ceiling. He always did that when he was in deep thought, I noticed. He jumped, startled, as the door hit the wall next to it. I quickly grabbed it and slammed it shut. _

_ "What are you doing?" he asked, looking at me, obviously taking in my state. I probably looked crazy, barging into his house and into his room. _

_ "I...I, uh," I began. What _was _I doing here?_

_ "Spit it out," he said patiently. _

_ "My dad...he, um, he has a girl," I said, and realizing how stupid that sounded, continued. "I mean, a girlfriend. I mean, not a girlfriend, not really- they're getting married."_

_ His eyes widened. "They what?" _

_ "I know! Getting married!" I said incredulously, throwing my arms up in the air. "And she's real shady too!" I added. _

_ "Shady? Like what?" he asked._

_ "Like I can tell that she only wants to be in our family because she knows I'm more than likely to win the Games someday."_

I awoke to the sound of Mariana's heels clicking down the hallway, and I quickly slipped out of Cato's arms and out the door to my own room.

She opened my door, and smiled at me, seeing that I was already awake.

"Breakfast is out, dear," she said, quieter than her usual shriek.

"Okay," I said simply. I got a shower, and dressed into my training outfit. I was bursting with excitement to show off to the other tributes. There are few things in this world that I enjoyed more than intimidation.

I stepped out of my room, and Cato did the same across the hallway at the same time. He was dressed in his training outfit as well, and the tight shirt showed off his bulging muscles. He smiled at my staring, and grabbed my hand until we got to the end of the hall.

We reached the table and Enobaria got straight to buisness.

"Look," she began. "I know you two are strong competitors in this years Games. But you still need strategy. Some people decide to hold back until their sessions with the Gamemakers, but I don't like that idea. You guys need to intimidate them. Show off. And make allies with the stronger tributes. I would look at districts One and Four if I were you. Got it?"

We nodded, and finished our breakfasts. Mariana led us to the elevator and down the the below-ground level. The elevator doors closed with her behind them. We walked to the Training Center in silence, preparing to show the other tributes all we had.

The doors slid open for us, and we walked in. Confident. Deadly.

A women spoke briefly to us about what was going on and the rules here. I didn't really pay attention, and decided to look at my competition again. Immediately my eyes set upon an absolutely huge male tribute. His skin was dark, and very, very, muscular. His face was detirmined, sculpted to look intimidating. He stood taller than even Cato. He was definitely going to be competition, if he made it through the initial bloodbath at the Cornucopia.

The boy from Twelve, I remember his name was Peeta, was also pretty fit for a tribute from Twelve. And his district partner, Katniss. She volunteered, which is a first for her district. But I don't think she did it wanting to go into the Games. Still, there was something about her that unnerved me. Her sheer detirmination, her steely gaze. I would keep an eye on them both.

Other than them, I didn't see many other true competitors here. I did, however, see Glimmer eyeing up Cato. Jealousy rushed through me, though I knew that she was not at all Cato's type. I took a deep breath, and as soon as the lady finished her speech, walked, very sure of myself to the knife station.

The knives were standard, I guess. Nothing too special. It was cool that the dummies moved, which were hard to get back home. I pressed the button that sent them into motion, and quickly entered the dark place in my mind. The angry place. The place where the other Clove lived. The Clove that never missed.

My wrists seemed to flick on their own, sending the weapons deep into each dummy, and surely putting my performance deep into the minds of each tribute. I could feel eyes on my back, and continued showing off, spinning around and throwing knives backwards over my back.

Finally, I ran out of weapons and turned to the rest of the Center, a confident smirk playing on my face. I knew I had already shocked them all. That they were already scared.

I strided over to the swords station, where I knew I would find Cato.

There he was, spinning and turning like an expert. Beheading dummy after dummy, stabbing them, his intense facial expression never wavering. I stood there, my arms crossed, glaring at him, but smiling on the inside. I knew he loved this, that it was what he'd been waiting to do since we got here.

I went through a few more station, looking at the other tributes. Fire Girl and Peeta seemed very into every station that didn't have to do with weapons. It didn't surprise me. Marvel, Glimmer's district parter, was pretty handy with a spear. I remembered to make allies with him during the lunch break.

Just as I had thought that, the same woman who gave the speech told us it was time to take a break for lunch. I sat at a table with Cato, Marvel, and Glimmer. We began talking about the Games, and joked about how all the other tributes didn't stand a chance, when Peeta came over to our table.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked, but sat down anyway.

This was going to be interesting.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I like this chapter a lot more than the last. But tell me, my lovely readers, what would you like in this story? I feel like it's a bit repetitive...so please put your suggestions in the reviews! Love you all!

Peeta sat down, and tried entering our conversations, though he didn't fit in with us at all. Glimmer and Marvel were being very obviously fake with him, and I understood their motives. He was unusually well-fed and strong-looking for a District Twelve tribute, so he could be some help to us in the Games. We didn't want to get rid of him just yet.

We finished our lunch break, and I decided to use this half of my first day of training to size up the tributes that I hadn't already with my new allies. They were absolutely pitiful. Peeta tried climbing some rope and fell right on his face. I smirked, and looked at Cato, who was smiling viciously. Katniss rushed to his side, whispered something in his ear. He seemed to protest, then give in. She helped him up, and he sauntered over to the weights. What did he think he was doing? He couldn't even hold himself up, and he's going for a hundred pound weight? He was setting himself up for failure, making my grin grow wider.

He took a deep breath, and lifted the weight, throwing across the room with ease, knocking over the rack of spears. My smile was immediately wiped off of my face, and I looked at the other Careers in shock. Maybe Peeta would be more of a threat than I thought.

The rest of training didn't have many significant events, though Cato and I were the last to leave, right after Glimmer and Marvel. We walked down the hallway, hand in hand, and into the elevator. The doors closed and Cato pushed me up against the wall, crushing his lips to mine. I eagerly responded, my hands running through his hair, his arms tight around my waist. His kisses trailed their way down my neck.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"I missed you. I haven't been able to talk to you all day," he breathed into my neck.

I brought his face back up to mine, kissing him again, pure passion surging through me.

Then the elevator doors opened, revealing Enobaria and Mariana, looks of horror and shock on their faces. I pushed Cato off of me, and he turned around, now seeing why.

"Well, I- I'm..." Mariana sputtered.

"Get in here. Now," Enobaria ordered.

We stepped inside the living area, and she got straight to buisness.

"What the hell are you doing?" she half-shouted. "You two know that any type of relationship between another tribute is going to tear you apart! Only one of you, if either of you, is going to make it out. And what if it comes down to the two of you, and you have to kill each other? You have to think about these consequences!"

"You don't think all these things have crossed my mind?" Cato yelled. "You don't think that I spend every one of my waking moments worrying about this, and knowing that in a few weeks, I'll never be able to see her again? That I'll never be able to kiss her again, to even talk to her?" his voice was getting softer now, and he grabbed my hand, the one with the beautiful ring on it. "We'll never get the future that I've always wanted," he said, almost whispering, looking down longingly and the ring.

Enobaria and Mariana both gave us the second look of shock for the day.

Mariana pursed her lips. Not in a snobbish way. She looked...touched. Near tears, to be exact. She quickly clicked away on her heels.

Enobaria spoke again, softer this time.

"Look, you two. This is going to be hard. These Games aren't going to turn out well for either of you. I know what I would do in this situation, but I'm going to leave you to your own decisions. Just...choose wisely," she said, then left the room.

I sat there, in some state of shock myself. Cato buried his face into my hair, whispered, "Come with me," he stood, pulling me along with him by the hand.

"Where..." I began, but he hushed me with a finger to my lips.

We ended up on a balcony, looking over the Capitol.

"It's...it's gorgeous," I said. It truly was magnificent. The colors of the buildings, all their shapes and sizes meshing together in a beautiful way.

"Not as gorgeous as you," Cato said, kissing me softly. I smiled against his lips. We stood there, together, our foreheads touching.

"I love you," I whispered. His eyes lit up a bit, one side of his lips turning up.

"I love you too," he whispered back, lightly kissing my nose. He grabbed my hand again and led me to a hammock. We lay there together, my head on his chest, his cheek resting on the top of my head. He played with my hand, rubbing whatever designs came to mind on the back of it. His eyes, I could tell, never left the ring on my finger.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey guys. I hate to say I'm annoyed and be a rude writer, but...I reallllly need feedback. Just one review, telling me something you'd like to see happen, something you liked, something you didn't like...it would be nice. Please?**

I woke up, maybe a few hours later, feeling myself being lifted by strong, familiar arms. I lazily opened my eyes. It was dark outside, maybe early morning. Cato looked down and smiled softly at my tired face. He kissed the top of my head.

"Go back to sleep babe. I'm just bringing you back inside," he murmured.

"Mmkay," I muttered, snuggling deeper into his chest. He chuckled a bit, and I drifted off again.

I awoke, again, to Cato. But this time it was his lips that woke me up. I smiled against his lips, and he did the same, then began kissing me again. I responded, absently twirling my finger in his short, blonde hair. His kisses were soft and sweet, and I didn't want it to end. But, unfortunately, it did.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said, smiling down at me.

"What's with you lately?" I said, smiling back at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, kissing me every chance you get, romantic balcony trips, calling me gorgeous and beautiful..."

"I just love you," he said, but I knew that wasn't it.

"Yeah, I know that much," I said, getting up.

He sighed, and got up with me. "Alright. It's what Enobaria said yesterday. She said we have to make her own decisions. And mine is to love you. I'm going to be as impossibly, perfectly in love with you as I can until I can't anymore." He paused, looked deeply into my eyes. "No matter how much it hurts when I have to let go."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he pulled me nearer by the waist. I held him as tight as I could, letting him know that it was my decision too.

"We're going to be late," Cato said, though he didn't sound too worried.

"Can't we just stay here?" I asked into his shirt.

He fake-gasped. "And miss training? I've never heard such a thing, especially from you!" he said, mock-appalled. I could hear the smile in his voice.

I laughed a little bit, then looked up. "Must mean I love you a lot, huh?" I smiled.

He smiled back at me. "C'mon," he said, grabbing my hand, leading me out the door.

The next three days of training went just as the first. It was strange to think that all we had left was the scoring and the interviews. Then we'd be sent into the arena. Sent to fight for our lives. Me and the other Careers dominated, and trained our hardest during those last few days. Peeta still followed us around, though we didn't object anymore. We could very well use him in the Games.

After only four days of training, it was time to show ourselves to the Gamemakers.

Cato and I rode down the elevator in tense silence, our hands entwined in a comforting grasp. I wasn't nervous- I knew I had a good score in the bag, but I also knew I didn't need a good score. I needed a great score.

The doors opened, and Cato let go of my hand. We stepped out, and took a seat outside the Training Center. Marvel went first, strutting confidently into and out of the room. He had a right to- he was pretty good with a spear. Then went Glimmer. To be honest, I didn't see much promise in her. She was going to be average, from what I could tell. Then they called Cato in. He stood up, jaw tense, eyes detirmined, and went into the room.

I was next. I stood, smirking at the doors. I was ready. I walked into the Training Center, and sprinted over to the knives, to firstly show my speed. I took a deep breath, and entered the dark space in my mind. I thought of my stepmother, and what she said to me after I was reaped.

_"You better damn right win these Games, Clove. Because I've been waiting for this. I need that house in the Victor's village. I need that fame and fourtune. I need you to win. Got it?" _

_ I just glared at her as she turned and walked out of the room. No goodbye. Just a slammed door in my face. _

_ She was my only visitor. _

I thought about my father, who married another woman only a year after my mother died, who wanted nothing more than to make my life a living hell. Anger ignited in my chest, and soon surged throughout my body. I pressed the button, and the dummies began moving. Targets on various parts of their bodies lit up, and I hit each one in the center. I spun around, threw knives backwards, did every trick in the book. Once I was out of weapons, I turned to the Gamemakers, smirked at them, and left the room, pleased with my performance.

I walked down the hallway of tributes, staring at each one, surely scaring them. I reached the elevator and rode it up to the second floor, replaying the events from my private session and finding them more and more glorious every time. I stepped out of the elevator to see Cato, Enobaria, and Mariana sitting on the couch. I sat down next to Cato. We talked for a while, until finally the program came on. This was the moment of truth, to see if I had really done as well as I thought.

Ceasar Flickerman began explaining the scores and what they mean, and Cato grabbed my hand, looking intently at the screen. His body was tense next to mine, and he leaned forward.

"From District One, Marvel, with a score of nine." A picture of Marvel came on the screen, the number spinning around his head. Not bad. It didn't surprise me.

"Also from District One, Glimmer, with a score of nine as well," Ceasar announced. I wondered what Glimmer did to get that score.

"Moving on to District Two, Cato, with a score of ten," Cato relaxed, sitting back and smirking. Enobaria smiled, shining her golden teeth at the television.

"Well done, Cato!" Mariana exclaimed, daintily clapping her hands.

"From District Two," Ceasar continued. "Clove, also with a score of ten."

"Oh, great job both of you!" Mariana squealed, a genuine smile on her face. I was beginning to think that since the other night she had a soft spot for us.

We kept on watching, and it didn't surprise me when Ceasar got to District Eleven.

"From District Eleven, Thresh, with a score of ten," I knew he'd be competition, especially when he had refused to join the Careers.

"From District Eleven, Rue, with a score of seven," Seven? I was curious what she had done. She was a small, frail little girl, only twelve years old. She couldn't possibly have any skill.

"From District Twelve, Peeta, with a score of eight," this, also, didn't surprise me too much. He really was strong.

"And finally, from District Twelve, Katniss, with a score of," Ceasar paused, looking startled at his piece of paper. "Eleven."

Cato's mouth dropped open, as did mine. Eleven? That girl showed no talent whatsoever during training, and I knew that she had no practice before these Games. We sat in shocked silence for a moment, then Cato let go of my hand and stood up, heading for the hallway. If Fire Girl just stealing the show at the tribute parade had made him mad, I really didn't want to see what he was like now. But I followed him anyway.


	12. Author's Note: Please Read!

Hey guys I'm sorry but I'll be going on a four day camping trip starting tomorrow, so no updates :( but I put up another Clato one-shot incase you're interesed ^.^


	13. Chapter 12

A/N: Omg, I'm so sorry for the wait guys. And I'm sorry this is so short. Ugh. Wellll...here it is. Please review, they make my day.

He stomped down the hallway in front of me, reaching the door to his room and slamming it shut right before me.

"Cato! Cato, let me in, please!" I called. I was answered by the sound of him punching the wall. "Cato, please just talk to me!" There was a shattering of something as he threw it to the ground in anger. And what made it worse was that I knew this was all for me. That he didn't care that Katniss's score was higher than his, just that it was higher than mine. Anything that even slightly slimmed my chances for winning upset him.

"Cato, I know you're upset, just please let me talk to you!" I begged, sliding down the wall with my back, putting my head in my hands.

"Just let him be, kid," a voice said above me. I looked up to see Enobaria. "Give him space."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I need to talk to him. He doesn't understand."

"What? What doesn't he understand? Because it looks to me like he understands all too well," she said.

"He doesn't understand," I said, lowering my voice, "that I don't plan on winning this thing without him."

Enobaria pursed her lips, looked me up and down.

"Being your mentor, I'm supposed to give you advice. Just let the Games play themselves out. Don't try saving each other. You're a Career. Career's don't love. They kill."

I took a shaky breath, and stood up.

"He needs me," I told her, trying to keep my voice steady, detirmined not to let him be alone tonight.

She sighed, knowing that she would get nowhere with me. I was going to wait for him, because I knew he would do the same for me. I knew it was what I had to do.

"Listen," I said to the door. "You might not want to talk to me right now. Or even be near me. But I'm going to wait out here for you. No matter what."

There was only silence on the other side of the door. And that was how it stayed, for the rest of the night. He promised that we'd be together until we couldn't anymore. I didn't understand why he just left me out in the hallway all night.

He didn't come out all day either. But I waited. I sat outside of his bedroom door all day long. Mariana brought me food, but I didn't eat very much of it.

Eventually, it came time to get ready for the interviews. Mariana tried to be nice about getting me up, but I didn't really feel like fighting, so I reluctantly stood up to go get ready.

I sat in silence as they did my makeup, dressed me. My dress was gorgeous- a pink color that brought out my emerald eyes and dark hair. The color made me think of something else.

_I walked cautiously down the stairs, but I was still close to tripping. The only shoes I was used to were boots, and heels were far from that. _

_ "Oh, Clove," Cato's aunt rushed towards me. She was a quiet woman, though big and tough-looking. She liked having her hands busy, which is why she volunteered to get me ready, do my makeup and pick out a dress. "You look gorgeous." _

_ I tried to smile, but the occasion wasn't one I had been looking forward to. _

_ Cato stood behind her, a strange look on his face, oddly quiet. _

_ "Alright, Cato, walk her there. Clove, remember to try to have a good time. Weddings can be fun." she said, though she didn't seem too convinced herself._

_ Cato and I walked in silence. It had taken them a little over a year for the wedding planning, and I had just turned ten, Cato eleven. Even after two years, our friendship had never faltered. But this walk was a bit awkward, my heels clicking ominously on the cracked pavement. _

_ We arrived at the wedding, and Cato faced me. _

_ "Well, have fun, I guess," he said, looking down. _

_ "Yeah, fun," I said sarcastically, and he chuckled. _

_ "See ya later, I guess," I said, and turned away. _

_ "See ya," he said, but he sounded like he wanted to say more. _

_ "Clove?" he called. I turned around. _

_ "Yeah?" _

_ He began saying something, then seemed to change his mind. _

_ "Nevermind," he said, and I turned away again, and walked into the wedding area. _

"There. Done," Hendria said, finishing my hair and breaking my thoughts. I turned to the mirror. I looked beautiful, and I wasn't one to compliment myself on looks very often.

The door swung open, and I turned to see Mariana and Enobaria.

"C'mon," Enobaria said. "Time to get lined up."

They ushered me to the elevator, and up to the floor where Ceasar Flickerman would be interviewing all the tributes.

"Where's Cato?" I asked.

"He's already there," Mariana answered.

I pursed my lips, hoping that he was calmed down, and that he would talk to me afterwards.


	14. Chapter 13

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the long waits, I'm just not feeling motivated. :(

But don't worry, here it is! Oh, and I changed my mind I'm doing the interviews like in the book where all the tributes sit on the stage. So, yeah. I love you all, have fun reading. xx (:

The stage was bright, and for a moment I was blinded. When that subsided, I caught sight of the three tributes who took their seat before me. First was Glimmer. She was wearing a short, light colored dress, a flirty, bright smile plastered to her face. Sometimes she made me sick, especially when she was eyeing up Cato in training. Next to her sat Marvel, a confident smirk on his face, in a blue suit, some other accents here and there. I guess he looked acceptable.

Then there was Cato. He looked great. His suit jacket was gray, but everything else was black. He looked serious, though not as deadly as I was told to be. He looked like a leader. Maybe it was because I hadn't seen him since yesterdays outburst, but my heart skipped a beat when his eyes flicked over to mine, then back to the audience just as quickly.

I took a seat next to him, and the rest of the tributes filed in. Ceasar Flickerman entered the stage, and the audience went wild. The interviews were about to start.

He greeted the audience, told them what was going to happen. Then, he introduced Glimmer as she strutted up to him, flashing her perfect smile to all of Panem. She was almost to flirty to take, so I didn't pay much attention to her.

After her three minutes, Marvel took the stage, smiling almost as brightly as Glimmer. His interview was better than hers, he was confident and charming, and actually quite funny. I always liked him more than his district partner.

Then there was Cato's turn. My body tensed up. I was nervous _for_ him.

"Hello, hello, Cato!" Ceasar exclaimed, shaking Cato's hand.

"Hello, Ceasar," he said simply, taking a seat.

"How are you?" Ceasar asked.

"I'm feeling great, actually. I'm prepared, vicious, and ready to go."

"So, you're feeling confident about these Games?" Ceasar inquired.

"Yeah, you could say that. It could also be taken as an understatement," he said, and the audience cheered for his sheer confidence.

"Well, well, well!" Ceasar said. "The other tributes better watch out! Now, Cato. I can't help but notice that you seem incredibly strong, which is a great advantage in the Games. But a weapon is also very important. What, would you say, is your weapon of choice?"

"A sword, definitely," he said, a small smirk playing on his features.

"Oooh, a sword! Interesting!" Ceasar exclaimed, and the Capitol citizens seemed to agree. "So, what are your thoughts on the competition this year?"

"Well, you can never be too sure, though there are a few people I might be forming a temporary alliance with. I think there are people who could help me, but not necessarily better than me."

"Mhmm. I see," Ceasar said. "Well, we're just about out of time."

He stood up, grabbing Cato's hand and holding it high over their heads.

"From District Two!" he shouted. "Cato, everybody!"

The audience went crazy. They were sure they were looking at their victor. _And maybe they are, _I thought.

Cato was back in his seat now, and I got up carefully, making sure to look gracious and confident. I smirked at the audience and I could feel that they were already intrigued.

"Welcome, welcome, Clove!" Ceasar said, a big smile on his face.

"Hello Ceasar," I said.

"Oh, Clove, you look beautiful! Doesn't she, folks?" he asked the audience, and they clapped and cheered in reply.

I smiled a bit. "Thank you."

"The color just sets of your hair and-" he cut himself off. "Now, anyway. Your district partner, Cato," my stomach twisted at his name. "He seems very confident, very confident indeed. And so do many of the other tributes. Are you at all intimidated by that?"

I chuckled, as if even the idea of me being intimidated was absurd.

"Not at all." I sneered.

Ceasar raised his eyebrows. "Well, now!" he seemed a bit impressed.

He continued, "When you were reaped, you seemed very scared walking up to that stage! And look at you now! So poised, so calm. What was running through your head at the time?"

I looked down. "I will admit, the honor of being selected has always been one of the biggest hopes in my life. I guess I was just overwhelmed that it was all happening. But by the time I was on the train, I had my head straight and I knew that I was going to easily win and bring honor to my name, my family, and my district." I lied.

_My knees began wobbling beneath me, and I looked up. Cato, my beautiful, perfect, Cato was already standing on the stage. The stage I had to go to now. _

_ My head still wasn't wrapped around it, but I knew I had to walk. My legs seemed to kick into gear, dragging me up to the district escort, Mariana. Dragging me to the end of my life, whether it be because I was gone or because Cato was gone. Because one of us would have to be. _

_ We shook hands, and Cato squeezed mine a little more than necessary, trying to reassure me. My stepmother visited me, yelled at me. My father was nowhere to be found. _

_ A Peacekeeper led me to the train, where I sat on the couch, alone, until someone brought Cato in. _

_Our eyes met across the room, and everything seemed to stand still. I didn't even notice the Peacekeepers leave the room. We both snapped out of our daze and closed the distance between us. I crashed into his arms. They were holding me into his chest, one on the back of my head and one around my waist. _

_ I pulled away from him. _

_ "What are we gonna-" I began, but he interuptted me. _

_ "Shh. It doesn't matter right now. This does," he said, pulling me back into him. I couldn't protest, and I took a deep, shaky breath, taking in the way he smelled. I love the way he smelled. It made me feel safe. He rested his head on top of mine, rubbing my back soothingly. _

_ The train car door opened, and we pulled apart. Mariana walked in, greeting us, talking to us, though I was too deep in my own thoughts to understand what she said. _

After that, it was hard to keep up my confident attitude, and I was grateful when my three minutes was up.

I went back to my seat, risking a glance at Cato. He stared at the floor, looking deep in thought. Somehow, I knew, the same memory that had flashed through my mind had done the same to him.


End file.
